This patent is directed to a battery management system, and, in particular, to a battery management system for use with a healthcare delivery system, such as a healthcare delivery system including an infusion pump and pump controller.
Therapy, or treatment, for a medical condition may be characterized in a number of different ways. For example, therapy may be discussed in terms of the agent used to affect a change in the patient's condition, such as a drug or radiation. As another example, therapy may be discussed in terms of the mode or route of administration.
Infusion therapy—the intravenous delivery (i.e., delivery into a vein) of therapy—is well known in the art. In its simplest form, infusion therapy may be carried out using a container or bag connected to a patient via a drip chamber, an administration set and a catheter. In such a system and according to such a method, fluid passes from the bag to the patient under the influence of gravity. In a more complex system, a pump or a cuff may be used to control the flow of the fluid to the patient.
When a pump is used, conventionally the pump is powered using a mains supply as the primary supply. The mains supply will typically be used to power not only the pump, but also a pump controller associated with the pump, which pump controller may be programmed to provide individualized delivery of the medical fluids from the container or bag to the patient. For example, the pump controller may be programmed to control the pump to provide a particular flow rate of the fluid.
It is also typically the case that a battery power supply is provided to power the pump and pump controller for a limited period of time. The battery power supply may be included to limit the possibility that a failure of the mains supply will result in an interruption of the delivery of fluids to the patient. The battery power supply may also be included to permit the pump and pump controller to be moved with the patient, during which time it may be impossible or impractical to connect the pump and pump controller to the mains supply, for example, patient transport for test procedures, bathroom visits, or prescribed ambulation to enhance recovery. It is frequently the case that patient transport of critical patients requires a very high assurance of battery operation duration, due to the life sustaining nature of patient infusions. Failure to meet battery operation duration in these situations may lead to life threatening situations, as can be observed in the FDA Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (“MAUDE”) database.
Because it is expected that the battery power supply will only have to power the pump and pump controller for a limited period of time before the pump and pump controller are again coupled to the mains supply, these battery power supplies typically include one or more rechargeable batteries. When the pump and pump controller are again coupled to the mains supply, a charger can be activated to charge the batteries back to their full charge. One advantage of using rechargeable batteries is that it is not necessary for the healthcare provider to change the batteries after every discharge cycle so that the battery power supply is at full charge capacity for a subsequent discharge cycle.
While rechargeable batteries have a longer standby life than traditional, non-rechargeable batteries, rechargeable batteries do have an expected operational life, which may be estimated in terms of years and/or numbers of charge/discharge cycles. Eventually, the rechargeable batteries will need to be replaced. In addition, over the operational life of the rechargeable battery, the charge capacity of the battery will decrease.
As set forth in greater detail below, the present disclosure sets forth an improved assembly embodying advantageous alternatives to the conventional devices and methods discussed above. In particular, the present disclosure addresses the significant unmet need in the area of battery management for portable devices delivering critical therapies.